The most helpful favourable review

The most helpful critical review

5.0 out of 5 starsBoy in the dress - excellent
So funny I found myself laughing out loud when I read it. Kept sniggering for days after. Bought for my grandson but I enjoyed it as much as him.

Published on 2 Jan. 2011 by Mrs. Ep Jones

168 of 188 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 starsSurprised no-one has commented on..
the porn mag content. My 8 yr old daughter loved the first Walliams book she read, so we got her this one. I was disappointed to find myself having to explain what a porn magazine is. It goes on to say the father hides his, and the older brother takes them. If she had spotted one in a shop and asked, then fair enough, but to find it in a children's' book was not...

I am eight years old and I really liked this book because it is funny and not like anything I have ever read before. The characters are brilliant. I like Lisa, Darvesh's mum and best of all, Dennis. I think that a boy dressing up as a french girl is a very funny idea. I would like to buy this book for all my friends at Christmas, boys and girls.

I've already read a couple of David Walliams' novels in the past, and of course with this being on TV over the Christmas period it was inevitable that I would want to read this book as well. What I find with Walliams' books are that although primarily for children, for adults they still make fun reading and so are more a type of family book, where we can all be entertained. Of course if you are reading this after seeing the TV dramatisation I don't expect you will be surprised that you find this very slightly different. The main story is the same, but there were a few comic pieces added that don't appear in the book.

Dennis is a normal seeming twelve year old boy. He lives with his older brother and father, as their mother walked out a couple of years before. Dennis does have one extraordinary secret though, and that is that he does like looking at women's fashions. Nothing would have gone any further than that until he becomes friends with Lisa, a slightly older schoolgirl. And so for Dennis his life is about to enter a new and challenging path, as he actually tries on dresses, and becomes his alter ego, Denise, and even plays the girl at school.

This is a fun and comic tale, but it does have a more sensitive and thoughtful side to it. As Dennis gets into troubles and problems this story helps to remind us all that we are not all the same, and we must show tolerance for others. What will happen to Dennis here, and more importantly what will happen with the football match which could give his school team a chance of glory?

So, in all this is well worth reading whatever age you are at, from nine years and older, after all what could be more interesting than football and cross-dressing? David Walliams does remind us also in this book about a certain problem that women face, indeed he does know all about it due to characters he has played in the past, and that is that high heels are not really that comfortable or practical. We also have here great illustrations by Quentin Blake.

the porn mag content. My 8 yr old daughter loved the first Walliams book she read, so we got her this one. I was disappointed to find myself having to explain what a porn magazine is. It goes on to say the father hides his, and the older brother takes them. If she had spotted one in a shop and asked, then fair enough, but to find it in a children's' book was not appropriate. I've given this three stars for this reason. Apart from that it's a great book, well-written, funny and greatly enjoyed.

I am 8 years old and I think that you should read this book because It has things that most people like in books.It is funny, sad and happy at different parts of the book. It has pictures in some places of the book so if you don't get it you can rely on the pictures to help you. It is worth reading.

My twelve year old son is working his way through all of Walliams books; it makes such a pleasant change from Minecraft and YouTube! A friend bought him Gangsta Granny as a gift for Christmas and he has since read another three and asked me to order the ones that he has not already got! It’s been a while since I have seen him excited waiting for a delivery, the last time was Harry Potter! He wasn't even this enthusiastic about Diary of a Wimpy Kid and he ploughed through those!

It makes me so happy when I see that I have been able to share my own love of books with my children. If you are trying to get your kids to read more then these books are certainly worth trying, both of my children have loved them. The illustrations are fantastic and really suit the books writing style. A comparison and similarity has to be drawn to Dahl as Walliams seems to have that same understanding of children versus adults, like Dahl the children are usually way more clever that the grown-ups!

Great book but is definitely worth a pre-read before giving to younger children (under 12s- depending on child) there is a small reference to 'dirty magazines' doesnt say much more than that but I blocked it out with black marker before giving it to my 8 year old (I had already ordered it before I knew about the content!) Just have a read first and make sure you're comfortable.

David Walliams is fantastic. My daughter has always enjoyed reading, but she now has Mr Stink, The Billionaire boy and The boy in the dress. She now cant wait to get her hands on the next book. David Walliams captures the excitement in these books and gets children's minds thinking and imagining. By far the best author that has been around for some time

Wow! I have just read this book to/with my 10 year old son. Despite being one of the earliest David Walliams books we bought it last, and this, I'm ashamed to say, is because I thought the title would put my son off. However, I couldn't have been more wrong! It was FANTASTIC - one of those books that you just don't want to put down. My son loved the humour, and I loved the pathos and sense of hope at the end. It is so moving that at one point a silent tear rolled down my cheek. It is a fabulous book, beautifully written and I would highly recommend it to anyone of any age!

I have never given a thought to David Walliams as a childrens writer, he certainly has the gift of being able to make children laugh out loud. My grandchildren were delighted and we will certainly be looking out for more.